In this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Genesis, the Lord promises Abram that his descendents will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. One might have said the same of Brazilian Catholics as recently as the 1970s when more than 90 percent of the nation identified with the faith. Today that number has plummeted . . .

“Our citizenship is in heaven,” Saint Paul reminds the Philippians in this Sunday’s second reading, “and from it we also await a savior.” As the Obama administration awaits Congressional action on comprehensive immigration reform which includes a path to citizenship for the undocumented . . .

While he prayed on the mountain with the apostles Peter, John, and James, Jesus’ “face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white,” we hear in this Sunday’s recounting of the Transfiguration. Florida’s Republican Governor Rick Scott did a bit of transforming . . .

"The Lord is my life’s refuge,” the psalmist intones this Sunday. If you have been wondering where Pope Benedict XVI will take refuge after resigning the papacy at the end of the month, it turns out he will have a good home—and a pension to boot. Benedict will receive a monthly pension worth about $3,340 when he becomes . . .

“In the last two conclaves [the cardinals have] elected the smartest man in the room, and the question today is should they do that again or should they elect someone who will listen to all the other smart people in the church?”

A new survey says Amazon is the U.S.' "most reputable" firm. The "least reputable" include oil giants BP and Exxon-Mobil; banks Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Citigroup; and insurer AIG.